The nation of Israel is adrift spiritually and morally. No more judges will appear on the scene to fight or pray or preach. It is no surprise that this book closes with tragic tales of disobedience, superstition, immorality, theft, murder, and eventually Israelite fighting against Israelite. What is the root problem? The same problem we're experiencing today: everyone does what is right in his his own eyes.
When Samson can no longer see physically, he finally sees spiritually. When everything else is stripped away, he finally understands what really matters. What will God have to take away from you in order to let you finally see Him?
In this message Stephen takes us through the journey of Samson's life to warn us that spiritual potential doesn't always lead to spiritual success. It's not what you have that defines you . . . It's what you do with what you have.
Has it ever occurred to you that what you believe determines how you behave? What you believe about God affects everything about you. The decisions you make as well as your attitude in life are impacted by your beliefs. They can be glorious or tragic, as we will discover in the life of Jephthah.
The unbelievable grace of God does not care about heredity. It is not limited by the social, parental, and environmental factors that men consider determinative. If God can use a man like Jephthah . . . and can use you and I as well!
Do you know why God has given us armor to fight with? Because He wants believers to fight! God wants to teach us how to wage spiritual warfare! There is a fundamental principle in this; a timeless truth: God is more interested in developing His people than in displaying His power.
The Old Testament book of Judges is a story of a nation gone mad with sin and rebellion. One generation would serve God, but then the ones that immediately followed turned far from Him. What went wrong? Why didn't the children follow the religion of their parents? Find out now as Stephen begins his study of Israel's judges.
If God really is sovereign and He has promised to meet all our needs, then why do we covet? In this message Stephen reminds us that contentment will be found when we stop asking for more from God and start asking for more of God.
Our tongue has more influence on people than our income, our figure, our face, our wardrobe, our car, and our home combined. Our tongues can mend a marriage or tear it apart. Our tongues can heal a church or destroy it. So how beautiful is your tongue? Find out now as Stephen continues his series, "Down from Sinai."
Stealing is wrong. We know that because it's one of the Ten Commandments. But why is it wrong? What harm does it really do? Why does God hate it so much? That's what we really need to find out.
In this sermon, Stephen Davey recounts how Katharina Luther’s courageous escape from a convent and marriage to Martin Luther helped reshape the church’s view of marriage during the Reformation. Transformed by the truth of justification by faith alone in Romans 1:17, she entered a union that modeled commitment over compatibility, humility over self-interest, and ministry partnership over isolation. Despite public slander, hardship, and relentless labor, Katharina managed their home, finances, hospitality, and farm, enabling Luther’s preaching and teaching ministry to flourish. Their marriage demonstrated that the home could serve as a living testimony of the gospel and an extension of ministry. Davey concludes that Katharina’s quiet perseverance and sacrificial faithfulness became a revolutionary legacy of light for generations to follow.
In this sermon, Stephen Davey recounts how God sustained William Cowper through lifelong battles with severe depression and despair while using him to leave a lasting legacy of gospel truth. Though Cowper repeatedly wrestled with feelings of abandonment and even attempted suicide, God anchored his soul in the doctrine of Christ’s propitiation, especially through Romans 3:24–25. Davey explains that Cowper’s suffering did not signal God’s rejection but became the soil from which some of the church’s richest hymns of grace were written. Through faithful friends, Scripture, service, and God’s providence, Cowper continued to testify of salvation by grace alone. Davey concludes that powerful faith does not eliminate suffering, but it carries believers safely through it, proving that God’s mercy shines brightest in the darkest valleys.
In this sermon, Stephen Davey traces how God used Hudson Taylor’s deep trust in the finished work of Christ to shape a life of radical faith, humility, and endurance. Converted as a teenager through meditating on Jesus’ words “It is finished,” Taylor learned early to rely on God alone for provision, direction, and strength. Davey highlights Taylor’s willingness to suffer loss, poverty, misunderstanding, and criticism in order to reach China’s interior with the gospel. By identifying with Chinese culture and trusting God through relentless trials, Taylor helped establish hundreds of mission stations and the China Inland Mission, which transformed an entire nation for Christ. Davey concludes that Taylor’s enduring legacy was not strategy or success, but childlike faith in an illustrious Master who accomplishes His work through willing, surrendered servants.
In this sermon, Stephen Davey traces how God used Amy Carmichael’s strong will, suffering, and obedience to build a lasting legacy of eternal impact. From childhood determination to missionary service in India, Amy chose costly sacrifice over comfort, guided by her life verse about building with gold, silver, and precious stones. God redirected her ministry to rescue children trapped in temple prostitution, leading her to found the Dohnavur Fellowship, where hundreds of children found physical safety and spiritual life. Though misunderstood, criticized, and bedridden for her final twenty years, Amy continued to serve through writing and prayer. Davey concludes that God values the quality of faithful obedience over public success, and a life surrendered to Christ will shine long after it ends.
In this sermon, Stephen Davey traces how God used Oswald Chambers’ surrendered life to leave a lasting spiritual legacy far beyond his brief lifetime. Converted as a teenager, Chambers pursued ministry marked by humility, doctrinal depth, joyful faith, and an unwavering dependence on the Holy Spirit rather than methods or popularity. Serving as a YMCA chaplain during World War I, his Bible teaching and prayer ministry brought revival among soldiers facing death and despair. Though Chambers died at just forty-three, God multiplied his influence through the faithful work of his wife, Biddy, whose preservation of his sermons led to writings that continue to shape millions of believers worldwide. Davey concludes that a life fully surrendered to God may appear obscure for a time, but faithfulness empowered by the Spirit produces eternal fruit beyond imagination.
